QuestionI have a 2007 Camry with a V6. I bought the Camry new in June 2006. I have
73K miles. The car has been serviced only by Toyota. The car was due for its
next oil change (and keep in mind I drive a lot of miles per week, so my oil
needs to be changed sooner than the average driver), but three days before
my scheduled oil change, the oil light flickered at three separate times, with
each time lasting only one to two seconds. The light did not stay on. I
checked the oil when I reached home, and the oil did not register on the
dipstick. The dipstick is stained (like a tea stain). I park the car in my garage,
and there isn't and has never been any oil on the floor of the garage. I called
Toyota service and was told to have the car towed immediately to them, which
I did. The shop kept my car for two days and determined the problem to be
that the oil is burning internally past the valve stem seals. My question is, is
it possible that the shop did not put in enough oil when they changed out
the oil 12 weeks prior? Is it typical for a 2007 Camry with 73K miles to burn
oil internally enough to require a $1,332 repair of the valve stem seals? I did
not purchase the extended warranty, because Toyotas typically have a solid
record of reliability. I did not elect to have the Toyota service department
replace the seals. It was suggested that I check the oil level every 1,000
miles in the meantime. Any insight you could provide would be greatly
appreciated. Thank you!
AnswerHi there,
To answer your first question, it is VERY possible that the lube tech did not fill your car with the required amount of oil. In fact, I have seen this problem before at the dealer. Furthermore, I have seen lube technicians install the wrong size oil filter on a car, causing a devastating leak with engine failure as a result. Although extreme situations are rare, they do happen. Please keep in mind that oil changes are not done by line technicians. Dealerships have "lube techs". These techs do not perform major services and repairs. They strictly perform oil changes, tire rotations and replacement, pre-delivery inspections, battery terminal cleaning, bedliner installation...etc.
Even with all that being said, it is also very possible for a Toyota V-6 engine require premature valve stem replacement. I have seen this being done at an earlier mileage (60,000). If I was the owner of your car, I would PERSONALLY change the oil and filter at home and make sure you note the oil level on the dip stick. Then, for the next 3,000 miles I would check it every 500 miles and record your findings with the date and time. OR, you could have a Licensed independent shop perform this same task. The reason you might want to do this is for a second opinion (documented on paper) and any possible future arbitration purposes.
Please return and let me know the results of your findings.
